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Preventing
Ice Before it Forms
Consumer, Home, and Recreation
Originating
Technology/NASA Contribution
NASA has always been on the cutting edge of aviation safety
research, though many of the technologies the Agency develops
also find practical application in ground transportation
safety. One of the most prominent examples of this type
of technology transfer is the grooved pavement developed
by NASA in the early 1970s. While researching runway conditions,
NASA scientists discovered that cutting narrow grooves into the surface of runways allowed rainwater to flow off
of the tarmac, decreasing the troubles associated with
wet, slick runways, including slipping, hydroplaning, poor
handling, and reduced braking times.
This knowledge has aided airports around the world,
and highway engineers have realized its benefits for slippery
roadways, as well. This is just one of dozens of examples
of how NASA technology with roots in flight safety has
helped drivers on the ground.
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This
anti-icing agent adds an extra level of safety
to air travel. Created at Ames Research Center,
it contains food-grade ingredients, making it safe
for the environment as well. |
As a more recent example, in the late 1990s, a team of
engineers at Ames
Research Center invented an anti-icing
fluid to keep ice from building up on airplane wings. Ice
on wings can be a serious safety hazard, especially during
takeoff, when a sheet of ice the thickness of a compact
disc can reduce lift by 25 percent or more. The typical
approach to clearing off the ice is to use a deicing solution
once the ice has built up. The fluid created by the Ames
team, though, when applied to a dry surface, prevents
the ice from even forming a surface bond, which saves deicing
time and money, while also preventing excessive use of
chemical solvents. If, however, the solution is not applied
before ice forms, it also serves as a traditional deicing
formula.
The formula contains propylene glycol, which has a very
low freezing point, and a thickener, which helps the fluid
adhere to the surface. Ice gathers on top of the formula,
and then it can be wiped off with little effort. This thickening
agent, a pseudo-plastic, sprays on as a liquid, like lemonade,
gels like a lemon sherbet, turns back to a liquid when
wiped, and then gels again into its sherbet consistency
when left to solidify. The sherbet-gel stage is especially
important when the formula is sprayed onto a vertical or
steeped surface, as it clings better than a liquid would.
The sherbet analogy is not that far-fetched. In fact, when
the solution was originally introduced, it was so environmentally
safe that it was deemed “food grade,” because its ingredients
were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for use in food—ice cream, to be specific. This safety
feature is a serious advantage over methyl alcohol- and
ethylene glycol-based solutions, which are commonly used
for deicing, but have negative environmental effects. Exposure
to large amounts of ethylene glycol can damage the kidneys,
heart, and nervous system of people and animals. Pools
of the toxic solution are also dangerous for fish and wildlife.
The toxic effects can be widespread if it enters streams,
rivers, or other bodies of water that support life.
When the nontoxic anti-icing solution was announced in
1997 by Ames co-inventors Leonard Haslim, John Zuk, and
Robert Lockyer, the fluid was said to be able to prevent
ice buildup on airplane wings. The first example application
in the patent, though, was for use as an anti-icing agent
on automobile windshields. Although working in the sunny
climate of California, Zuk had grown up in the American
Northeast, attended college in the Midwest, and was all
too familiar with cold mornings spent scraping ice from
windshields.
Partnership
This fluid had such obvious widespread application that
NASA sought to find and issue a license to a commercial
partner with the background and resources to market and
distribute this wonder.
WorldSource, Inc.,
of Palm Desert, California, a developer and distributor
of products for the consumer marketplace, was just the
right fit. It has an experienced management team with considerable
expertise in the development, manufacturing, marketing,
and distribution of consumer products. WorldSource is now
the sole manufacturer and distributor of the formula for
windshield applications.
“NASA aviation and space research have helped mankind by
finding epic discoveries in our skies and far into the
heavens,” said Brian Jue, chief executive officer of WorldSource.
“WorldSource is proud to license a piece of NASA’s aviation
safety technology for our Ice Free anti-icing product.
Ice Free’s ability to prevent ice from bonding to a vehicle’s
glass windows could make winter life easier for millions
of people on roadways around the world.” The inventors
also recommended its use on railway switches and on monorail
electrical connections. The technology is currently being
leveraged by another licensee, Midwest Industrial Supply,
Inc., of Canton, Ohio, where it is prized for its anti-icing
qualities, as well as its lubricating properties for preventing
the development of ice buildup.
“As we continue to explore the universe, we are proud that
NASA’s pioneering efforts keep fueling American creativity,
innovation, and technology development,” said David Morse,
acting chief, Technology Partnerships Division at Ames.
“This new product is yet another example of the additional
dividends Americans reap from their investment in space
exploration.”
Product Outcome
Ice Free is a spray for automobile windshields that can
provide protection down to 20 °F. Applied prior to inclement
weather with a standard spray bottle, it is a simple and
safe treatment that prevents ice or snow from bonding on
a glass surface, such as a car’s windshield, side or rear
windows, and mirrors.
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Now
that Ice Free is commercially available, people
everywhere can experience the advantages of this
NASA-derived technology. |
The spray makes it fast and easy to get started on a wintry
morning, as it eliminates waiting for defrosters to help
thaw ice and, as is even more appreciated, eliminates the
need to stand outside in cold weather, scraping and chipping
away at the ice. It is so simple that one swipe of the
windshield wipers is all it takes to clear front windshields
treated with the solution. For side windows and mirrors,
a stroke of a squeegee is all it takes.
It has the additional benefit of deicing, instead of just
being an anti-icing agent. If the formula is not applied
before the ice sets, the solution can still be used, because
when sprayed on ice, it helps the thawing process.
“We’ve had an extraordinary reception to Ice Free in initial
marketing tests from consumers, distributors, and the media
from across the United States, and have been receiving
worldwide inquiries,” said Bob Harrick, WorldSource president.
“We’re working on putting Ice Free onto retailers’ shelves
in every region where cold weather forces people to scrape
their icy windows when trying to get their vehicle ready
for driving. Ice Free saves people time, and some of their
body heat, too.”
Lockyer said of the product in its newfound commercial
application, “It’s a good use for it, and it will work.
We sprayed some on a windshield here, let it ice over,
turned the windshield wipers on the next morning, and the
ice came right off.”
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